Partisan advertising expenses before the start of the provincial election period

Starting on January 1, 2026, to promote transparency, third parties must comply with various measures concerning the disclosure of their partisan pre-election advertising expenses.

These rules only apply to provincial general elections. They do not apply to by-elections.

A guide explaining the rules for registering and disclosing pre-election advertising expenses is available to third parties planning to incur such expenses.

• Third-party partisan pre-election advertising expenses (PDF – DGE-730 – in French)

Registering with the Chief Electoral Officer

Third parties must file a notice of intent if they plan to disseminate partisan advertising totalling more than $1,000 between January 1st of the year in which a provincial general election will be held and the day on which the order instituting the election is issued. This notice must take into account all expenses incurred for the design, creation, production and distribution of partisan advertisements disseminated during the pre-election period.

Third parties can fill out a notice of intent online.

• Notice of intent by a third party intending to disseminate partisan pre-election advertising

Or they can fill out the PDF form applicable to their situation and send it via mail to the address below.

• Notice of intent – Pre-election expenses of a third party – Group (PDF – DGE-732 – in French)
• Notice of intent – Pre-election expenses by a third party – Natural person (PDF – DGE-733 – in French)

We will assign each third party an identification number when we accept their notice of intent. We post the list of third parties registered for the pre-election period on our website.

Partisan pre-election advertising expenses

Generally speaking, a partisan pre-election advertisement directly promotes or opposes the election of a candidate or a political party. Such advertisements are disseminated between January 1st of the year in which a provincial general election is to be held and the day on which the order instituting the election is issued.

To directly promote or oppose the election of a candidate or a political party, an advertisement must clearly identify the candidate, the party or a specific element of the candidate or party’s political program. Identification can take various forms, such as a direct mention, representation or reference. For example, the advertisement can name the candidate or party or identify the candidate or party through their logo or a photo.

Advertisements that cover publicly debated issues are excluded from partisan pre-election advertising, provided they do not clearly identify a candidate, a political party or a specific element of a political program.

Similarly, third parties do not need to register before spending on advertisements that strictly cover legislative bills, the examination of estimates of expenditure, the proceedings of parliamentary committees, the implementation of public policies by government departments or negotiations between the government and unions.

Exceptions

The Election Act provides for exceptions to the notion of partisan pre-election advertising expenses, under certain conditions.

• The publication or broadcast of articles, editorials, news items, columns, interviews, letters to the editor and public affairs programs does not constitute a partisan expense if:
  • the publication or broadcast is done in the same manner and following the same rules as outside the election period, without payment or reward, or the promise of payment or reward;
  • the newspaper, periodical or printed matter was not created for the purposes of or with a view to the election, and its distribution and frequency of publication are determined in the same way as outside the election period.

The above exceptions also apply to the digital equivalents of newspapers, periodicals, radio stations and television stations. For example, the production of podcasts and the online broadcast of video commentaries may fall under these exceptions if they meet the same conditions.

• The cost of producing, promoting and distributing any book whose sale, at the prevailing market price, was planned regardless of the pre-election period does not constitute a pre-election expense if the cost complies with the usual market rules.

Examples of actions for which a third party must first register

A third party planning to spend more than $1,000 during the pre-election period must register before:

• Putting up billboards denouncing a measure advocated by a political party;
• Distributing pamphlets promoting a political party;
• Posting a video online supporting a candidate, if the film crew was paid;
• Paying to disseminate messages on a large scale on social media, highlighting the achievements of the political party the third party supports;
• Contacting electors by telephone or by electronic means, such as text message or email, to encourage them not to vote for a candidate.

A no-cost partisan post on social media, such as Facebook or X, does not generally constitute a pre-election advertising expense, since the cost is nil or nearly nil. However, if costs are incurred for the production, creation, design or promotion of the post, the third party must count these expenses.

Furthermore, sharing partisan advertising material on social media, at no additional cost, does not constitute a new expense. The person sharing the advertisement on social media therefore does not need to register; it is the third party behind the advertisement that must do so, if the total amount of their partisan pre-election advertising expenses exceed $1,000.

Identifying the advertisement

In the interests of transparency, third parties registered with the Chief Electoral Officer must make sure their name or designation appears on partisan pre-election advertisements they disseminate. The words “authorized by” and “paid by” are not required.

For more information, consult the Third party partisan pre-election advertising expenses (PDF – DGE-730 – in French) guide.

Partisan pre-election advertising expense balance sheet

Registered third parties must submit a balance sheet of their partisan pre-election advertising expenses to the Chief Electoral Officer. Under Directive D-36, they must do so no later than 30 days after polling day.

• Summary of third-party partisan pre-election advertising expenses (To come – PDF – DGE-731 – in French)
• Directive D-36 (To come – PDF – in French)
• Request for additional time (To come – PDF – DGE-734 – in French)

We post the balance sheets on our website within 90 days of receiving them.